the penny drops

Sens

someone finally understands something after a while

Quelqu'un finit enfin par comprendre.

Exemples

1. 1I stared at the maths problem for ages, and then suddenly the penny dropped.
2. 2Sometimes the penny drops only when you try to explain the idea to someone else.
3. 3Leo didn't understand why we were laughing, but after a minute the penny dropped and he laughed too.
4. 4Some pupils need three or four examples of a new rule before the penny drops.
5. 5My sister explained the plot twice, but the penny dropped only when we watched the film again.

Grammaire

S'emploie comme proposition. Seul drops varie : dropped, has dropped. the penny reste au singulier.